"Open the pod bay doors, HAL."

"I can't do that, Dave."

Science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died aged 90 in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, it was confirmed tonight.

Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30am after suffering breathing problems, his personal secretary Rohan De Silva said.

“Sir Arthur passed away a short while ago at the Apollo Hospital [in Colombo}. He had a cardio-respiratory attack,” he said.

I read many of his books, The Fountains of Paradise, Rendezvous with Rama and 2001. Not only was he a great SF writer, but he didn't start a cult now based in Clearwater FL.

I'm going to watch 2001:A Space Odyssey to the bitter psychedelic end.